Badgers Ready For Another First Place Battle

Its Tuesday and once again Wisconsin men's basketball finds itself in a battle for the conference lead, this time playing host to No. 13 Michigan State (5-1 Big Ten, 16-3 Overall). Although the Badgers are coming off a disappointing loss Saturday night at Iowa, last Tuesday's win in Bloomington keeps UW right in the thick of a tightening Big Ten race at the start of this two-game home stand.

Winners of five straight and the Big Ten's hottest team, the Spartans come to Madison having finally cracked the code and winning at the Kohl Center last year in a game best remembered for its final moments when a three-point basket by Wisconsin's Ryan Evans was disallowed on review. That ruling helped MSU avoid a second overtime and gave them their first victory in Madison since 2001.

Michigan State has been about as quiet as a perennial contender can be in its rise to the top of the conference standings. After losing at Minnesota in their Big Ten opener, the Spartans have turned to the front court duo of senior Derrick Nix and junior Adreian Payne to lead them in five straight victories including a 59-56 win over then-No. 11 Ohio State this Saturday. Nix and Payne are each averaging 9.4 points per game while adding a combined 14 rebounds per game in the process. The UW front court is still without sophomore forward Frank Kaminsky and will need to stay out of foul trouble in order to maintain the manpower necessary to neutralize the Spartan attack.

Just as important is UW's ability to take care of the ball. After holding an aggressive Indiana defense to just 7 points off turnovers last Tuesday, the Badgers turned the ball over 12 times against Iowa, allowing the Hawkeyes to capitalize to the tune of 12 points off turnovers. Michigan State enters play forcing 13 turnovers per game and has averaged a tick over 15 points per game off turnovers in conference play. The Spartans will no doubt look to exposure the Badgers' inexperienced back court in an attempt to speed up the game and take UW out of its element.

The formula for Wisconsin is clear: take care of the ball, maintain defensive integrity, and make shots early to get the crowd involved. If the Badgers are able to do that, as they were last week in Bloomington, there is a good chance the Big Ten could have a new leader by the end of the night.